OK, so here's the deal...I got a good scholarship to UMN and wouldn't have any debt coming out of it. I'm looking into public interest or government work and wanted to know, if I'm not looking into corporate law, what are my chances of landing that kind of job on the east coast (NYC, especially)?

Thank you.

ETA: And, yes, I'm aware NYC Is largely more about Biglaw, but I'm just wondering. I have other schools I'd prefer but I don't want to choose my career based on how much debt I have.

Do you have specific agencies in mind? Because the Federal Government or national organizations probably aren't going to care as much where you went to school geographically, but more localized organizations would probably be more likely to take an east coast grad than a Minny one.

All hearsay and conjecture of course. What are your other acceptances?

DerrickRose wrote:Do you have specific agencies in mind? Because the Federal Government or national organizations probably aren't going to care as much where you went to school geographically, but more localized organizations would probably be more likely to take an east coast grad than a Minny one.

All hearsay and conjecture of course. What are your other acceptances?

I don't have specific agencies in mind, so that's a plus.

I would also have no debt coming from William & Mary, but I really, really didn't want to be in a small town Virginia environment again (I was at W&L undegrad). I also got in to UConn, UC Davis, Fordham (15k/yr scholarship), and UCLA (5k/yr scholarship...helpful). Waitlisted at Michigan, BU, & Northwestern. UCLA was my first choice and I'd love Fordham, too, because of the NYC location, but I'm pretty terrified of being in debt like that, especially if I don't want to go into Corporate Law.

IBR lasts ten years for PI work, right? You don't think I'd have better opportunities doing the same thing coming from UCLA? I realize it's not in NY, bu, with its prestige, do you think it has enough national mobility to get me into PI in NYC?

IBR lasts ten years for PI work, right? You don't think I'd have better opportunities doing the same thing coming from UCLA? I realize it's not in NY, bu, with its prestige, do you think it has enough national mobility to get me into PI in NYC?

Yep, ten years. UCLA is a great school and it'll open up some prestigious PI opportunities. If location isn't a key factor, I'd take UCLA. However, if you want to work in New York, I think Fordham will somewhat outperform UCLA. I just haven't seen much proof that a lower T20 will outperform a well regarded regional school (~30).

I feel like I keep giving this same advice, but: If you are dead set on PI go to the school that will open the most door. CCRAA ensures that you don't have to worry about debt. Since you'll be put on IBR, its what you make that determines the amount of money you have to pay back, not how much you have borrowed. In your case, UMN opens the least amount of doors in NYC out of these three options (though you're not shut out as some would leave you to believe).

Between Fordham and UCLA, I don't know. You sound like you're dead set on NYC which suggests Fordham. Think about the chances you'll have through clinics ect. to build connections and get in to the type of work you want, that going to school in NYC will afford. At UCLA you'll just have to rely on summers which you'll have to work hard just to get an NYC job to begin with.

Geist13 wrote:I feel like I keep giving this same advice, but: If you are dead set on PI go to the school that will open the most door. CCRAA ensures that you don't have to worry about debt. Since you'll be put on IBR, its what you make that determines the amount of money you have to pay back, not how much you have borrowed. In your case, UMN opens the least amount of doors in NYC out of these three options (though you're not shut out as some would leave you to believe).

Between Fordham and UCLA, I don't know. You sound like you're dead set on NYC which suggests Fordham. Think about the chances you'll have through clinics ect. to build connections and get in to the type of work you want, that going to school in NYC will afford. At UCLA you'll just have to rely on summers which you'll have to work hard just to get an NYC job to begin with.

Thanks a lot for the advice. My problem is that I'm not DEAD SET on PI, but it's definitely one of my top considerations. There is something daunting about having about $90K in debt from UCLA or a little less from Fordham if I end up going into something else. Because, without PI, isn't IBR 25 years? That's a long time to have debt hanging over one's head. Ugh, I'm awful at decision-making.

Do NOT go to Minn if you want to work in NYC. This has been done before and people have not been able to make that leap. Rightly or wrongly, there is a sentiment in NYC regarding the large public schools in the midwest. I don't really agree with it, but it exists. You are going to have a hard time entering the NYC market for any type of job coming from Minnesota, regardless of academic ranking. The only school that this does not hold true for is Michigan, and there are even some that have a slant against Michigan (which I totally don't get). Just a word of caution from a person with a lot of experience in NYC.

Informative wrote:Do NOT go to Minn if you want to work in NYC. This has been done before and people have not been able to make that leap. Rightly or wrongly, there is a sentiment in NYC regarding the large public schools in the midwest. I don't really agree with it, but it exists. You are going to have a hard time entering the NYC market for any type of job coming from Minnesota, regardless of academic ranking. The only school that this does not hold true for is Michigan, and there are even some that have a slant against Michigan (which I totally don't get). Just a word of caution from a person with a lot of experience in NYC.

You know, you could call UMN and ask them for placement statistics, see how many grads go to NYC, get PI, etc. The numbers might be better than people on the board think. Plus, you have summers.

And my feeling about people who are regionally prejudiced is: if they aren't interested in you because you went to school in the Midwest/South/wherever, do you really want to work for them? Especially when we're talking about public interest work. (I'm inclined to think those folks are a lot more interested in what you're like than where your school is, anyway.)